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Bayern Munich prospect Chris Richards has picked up an injury while on international duty with the United States at the U-20 FIFA World Cup in Poland. The centerback picked up an ankle injury at the hour mark of the American’s second game and had to be removed.
The USA was leading Nigeria 2-0 when Richards was hurt. As he went to clear the ball, Richards was on the receiving end of a hard kick right on his Achilles. While we don’t know the severity of the injury at this time, Richards was able to limp off the field without help.
It’s bad news for the Americans in this tournament. Richards is the anchor of that defense, and if this injury precludes him from taking part in the rest of this tournament, it’s unlikely that things will go well for the Yanks. He’s that important for them in that backline.
Once more information is available, we’ll have it here for you.
Update: According to Michal Trela with Przegląd Sportowy, USA coach Tab Ramos said the injury was minor. His expectation is for Richards to be out a couple of days and maybe miss the last group stage match against Qatar. Good news.
Chris Richards nie wypadnie Amerykanom na długo. Trener Ramos mówi, że za 2-3 dni powinien wrócić do treningów. W meczu z Katarem może go jednak zabraknąć. #U20WC
— Michał Trela (@MichalTrelaBlog) May 27, 2019